Livestock watering bowls normally include a valve mechanism that is adapted to be actuated by an animal to deliver water from a water pipe to the watering bowl. The conventional valve mechanism includes a button or plunger which is located above the level of the bowl and can be actuated directly by the animal, or in other cases, the button is actuated by pivotal movement of a nose plate that is pivoted to the bowl. In either case the pressing of the button acts to open the valve to deliver water to the bowl.
As the water in the water line is normally under substantial pressure, the water being discharged into the bowl tends to splash and overflow. The splashing or overflowing water can mix with the bedding, feed, or manure in the barn, causing a messy condition. To eliminate the splashing problem, attempts have been made in the past to reduce the velocity of the water being discharged to the bowl. For example, valve mechanisms have been employed in which the water is discharged to the bowl through a narrow slit or small orifice. While the use of a slit or orifice reduces the volume of water being discharged to the bowl it also substantially increases the time required to fill the bowl. As a further disadvantage, a narrow slit or small orifice will tend to plug up with sand particles, rust particles, or the like, so that a filter or screen is normally required to be positioned upstream of the slit or orifice. The use of a screen, in turn, requires frequent cleaning and maintenance to prevent clogging.
Attempts have also been made in the past to prevent splashing by introducing the water into the lower portion of the bowl beneath the normal water level. However, this type of construction is against code requirements in the United States as there may be a tendency for the contaminated water in the bowl to be siphoned back into the water line.